Red Nails

Red Nail Designs

Red nails have been a classic color choice for years. It’s a powerful hue that looks great on everyone. Of course red nails look beautiful with the classic, solid color on any nail shape. But in the time of taking nail designs up a notch we were feeling inspired to find other ways of rocking red nails. If you’ve been searching for a way to give red nails new life, or you want to try this color on your nails for the first time we’ve got you covered. We found some of the most insane red nail designs in our search and being your nail inspiration source, we’re sharing them with you. Get ready to make your nails RED hot after you see some of these manicures.

1Matte Red Nails

Give classic red nails a subtle update with a matte finish. It’s amazing what a slight change like the finish of a nail color can do to the entire look of red nails, isn’t it? If you have short, long, or in between length nails a matte red nail is gorgeous.

2Cherry On Top

Get a little crafty with your red nails with cherries. This is such a cute red nail design for summer time. Cherry prints have been trendy on clothing – and look great on nails. Use decals or stencils to create the cherry design on a couple of nails like they’ve done here.

3Red Christmas Nails

Christmas is the most magical time of year. It’s filled with so much joy and festive vibes. Bring the holiday cheer to your nails with red Christmas nails like these. We love how chic this design is, it’s the grown up way to bring the holiday to your nails.

4Clearly Red Stiletto Nails

Stiletto nails have become a major trend in the nail world. The shape elongates the shape of your fingers making them look slim and sleek. Keeping the tips of stiletto nails clear, like they’ve done here, is a super edgy and unique twist to the nail shape. Not to mention it gives red a modern twist.

5Royally Red

If you’ve always wanted to be a princess (or queen), your dreams can come true with this red nail design. Even if you’re a royal in your heart, adding rhinestones with a crown-like aesthetic is simple but full of style.

6Dark Red Nails

Bold red nails are what we see most often, but the great thing about red nails as a whole is that the hue comes in a variety of different shades and tones. Dark red nails are perfection for the fall and winter seasons. A great alternative to black or dark blue, colors a lot of us tend to stick to during the cool weather months.

7Speckled in Red

Isn’t this red nail design SO cute?! We’re all about a matte finish with red nails, combining red and nude polishes adds some lightness to the red color. Adding dots to the nude color nails really brings the colors together and elevates the manicure. Use a tiny paint brush or stamps to recreate this design.

8Red and Black Nails

Few color combinations are as classic and gorgeous as red and black, particularly when it comes to nail designs. These red and black nails are stunning. Playing around with different finishes and delicate design elements doesn’t have to be super complicated for a chic look.

9Modern Matte Red

Sometimes the best nail designs are those with very simple touches. These matte red nails are pretty classic, offering very subtle modern touches. The very thin black lines and touches of negative space take a simple manicure and give it a major boost.

10French Red

Leaving blank space on nails has become a growing trend you can anticipate on seeing a lot of over the next year (at least). This red manicure has the feel of a French manicure, with some added oomph to the mix. Using red, with a curve, to the tip of the nails and a touch of light pink to the base of the nails creates a fun modern dimension to nails.

11Red Glitter Nails

Ahhh glitter. What’s not to love about glitter? Especially RED glitter. Even if you just add red glitter polish to one nail and leave the others with the classic red polish you’re destined for a gorgeous red manicure you will love.

12Red Hearts

We couldn’t give you a list of red nail designs without including at least one manicure with hearts. The heart shape is a staple when we think of the color red. This heart nail design is unlike any other we’ve seen. Thin black lines and the use of nude polish adds a lot of edginess to the girly
heart shape.

13Heartbeat for Red

Another great example of subtle touches giving red nails a whole new look. We absolutely love the thin lines in black and metallic added to one of the red nails. Keep it simple with all red and just adding the lines, or add the heartbeat design to one nail for added style.

14Red Holographic Nails

Holographic nails and iridescent everything is, well…everywhere! We’re all about it for nails because…what’s not to love about it? Added glam is always a win in our nail book. You’ve probably seen the white base holographic nails but don’t forget about red! Red holographic nails create major edge and style that make a gorgeous statement.

15Red Houndstooth

Houndstooth is a pattern we often see in clothing, but that doesn’t mean we can’t apply it to our nails! The classic pattern in black and white is perfectly complimented with red polish. Use a stencil or stickers to achieve the houndstooth design.

16Fiercely Red

Applying an intricate design to one nail on each hand is an ideal way to
give your nails added style without over doing it. Not that you can ever really be “too much” with a great manicure. Leopard print is a forever staple pattern. Because it’s made up of neutral colors it pops beautifully next to red polish.

17Supreme in Red

Even if you can’t rock Supreme in your wardrobe, you can with your nails! Add some street style vibes to your nails with a red nail design like this. Using stencils you can easily recreate this type of design to get the letters onto red nails pristinely.

18Red Love

Love, love? So do we. Simple red polish gets a loving twist with one nail painted white, completed with love written onto the white nail. If you’re going to DIY this design at home, use a thin paint brush or pen to write love onto the nail.

19Bright Red Acrylic Nails

If you’re an acrylic nail kinda gal, this stylish red polish is a great option to try the next time you get your nails done! The great thing about this matte red color is you’re not limited by the time of year. Meaning…you can rock this color ALL year long.

20Red Stiletto Nails

Stiletto nails your thing? This nails shape is everything, if you ask us. It’s such a fun shape! Because the shape is a statement on its own you don’t need a LOT of other design elements for a stylish look. Add red matte polish and complete the look with red rhinestones for added glam and the perfect red manicure.

21Red Florals

Flowers often get the rap for being the girly-girl design, but this flower design isn’t the traditional flowers we often seen on nails. Painting flowers onto clear polish, with just the outline of the flowers in black, gives a stylish update to the design. We love how the flowers are incorporated into a matte red polish.

22Negative Space Red

We told you negative space was a big trend! This is a fun way to try the trend if you just want a touch of negative space to your manicure. Keep it simple with matte red polish, leaving just the thumbs with some simple lines like they’ve done here. So chic, right?

23Red and Silver Nails

This red and silver nail design is perfection for the spring and summer! Combining matte red with matte nude polish feels so fresh and light. The look is completed so chicly with silver lines added to just the nude polished nails.

24Triangular Reds

Reversed French manicure with red polish! Instead of paining just the tip of the nails, we love that the design style was flipped to using a nude polish at the base of the nails in a triangular shape. The triangle makes the nails look longer, too!

25Plaid Edge

This red nail design is giving us all the fall/winter feels, and we love it! Plaid is synonymous with the cold weather seasons so why not add it to your nails! Adding a couple of nails in solid black, with gold embellishments, brings this entire look together. Use stick on nails or stencils to DIY the plaid design!

26Black and Red French

French manicures aren’t just for white and nude color palettes. Black and red gives the classic nail look an edgy twist. Keep all the nails the same, or mix it up with one nail in the reverse color application for some dimension.

27Red and Gold Nails

Red and gold nails are one of those color combinations that will never get old, no matter your age there’s something so stylish about it. Don’t you think? Keep it simple and chic with gold glitter painted onto just one or two nails to allow the red to really pop.

28Put a Ring on It

Whether you’ve got an actual ring on your finger, or not, this red nail look is something every glamour girl needs in her life. Applying dainty sized rhinestones too the nail and adding silver polish to the sides gives the look of a ring. We love that the nails on each side of the ‘ring’ finger adds more silver to compliment the style.

29Red Chrome Nails

Chrome nails get a colorful twist with….RED chrome. Don’t count out chrome polish in varying tones like red. This nail finish looks incredible on every nail length and skin tone. Be sure to circle back to red chrome when the holidays come back around, too!

30Short Red Coffin Nails

Coffin nails have become one of the go-to nail shapes for women with acrylics. Of course, if you’re lucky enough to have natural nails this shape and length we envy you. Highlight the stunning nail shape with a classic red, shiny polish. Great for the professional woman!

31Red Gel Nails

Oh, gel nails how we love you! We don’t have to tell you how great gel manicures are, you already know. Adding a delicate white and rhinestone design to just one of your gel nails is enough to give your red nails some added design.

32Glitter Edge in Red

If you like edge AND glam, this red nail look was meant for you. Applying red glitter polish to stiletto shaped nails combines the two epic style personalities with ease. Don’t have stiletto shaped nails? You can still rock the red glitter polish and look amazing it in.

33Red Ombre Nails

Ombre nails always stun us. It’s been a while since we’ve seen red ombre nails that wow-ed us but these nails sure did. Starting the ombre with a dark red hue at the base of the nail, working its way to a bright red at the tip is gorgeous.

34Surprise Shine

By now we’re sure you’ve seen rhinestones added to nails in various designs. But we’re pretty sure you haven’t seen one rhinestone added strategically to the BOTTOM of the nail. We thought this was such a creative, unexpected twist to red nails. If you’ve got long nails, try adding a hidden rhinestone like this!

35Red White and Blue Nails

Showing your American pride has never been so stylish. Rocking red, white and blue nails is an easy way to get into the spirit. This isn’t your average 4th of July inspired manicure, we love that they’ve made this an updated design.